Bad Animals

The propulsive if uneven latest from Braunstein (The Sweet Relief of Missing Children) concerns a disgraced small-town Maine librarian’s chance at redemption. When middle-aged Maeve is accused by a troubled teen named Libby of spying while Libby has sex in the library bathroom, she denies the charges, but still loses her job. Adding to her heartache, she learns her daughter is not coming home from college for the summer. Things start to look up, though, after esteemed author Harrison Riddles agrees to visit the library while vacationing nearby with his wife. Maeve is a big fan of Riddles and had tried for years to secure an appearance, so it’s a big deal for her when a mutual friend invites her to dinner with the author. Riddles recruits Maeve to help with research on his next novel, and with both of their spouses conveniently out of town, she starts sleeping with the writer. Meanwhile, Maeve also hopes to convince Libby to rescind the accusations. Though the narrative loses steam over the course of Maeve and Riddles’s repeated trysts and the conclusion is easy to predict, Braunstein makes Maeve’s emotions palpable as she attempts to clear her name and deal with her empty nester woes. This has plenty of charm. (Mar.)